Educational toy



26, 1952 T. N. MULVIHILL. 2,608,006

EDUCATIONAL TOY Filed Jan. 18, 1951 FIG. I

INVENTOR.

THOMAS N. MULVIHILL ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFF EDUCATIONAL ToY I V Thomas N. Mulvihill, Grand Junction, Colo. 7 Application January 18, 195' 1 'Serial No. 206,596

This invention relates to educational toys and more particularly to toys for teaching juveniles spelling, orthoepy and-arithmetic; I

One of the objects of the'invention is toprovide a pair of relatively rotatable cylindrical whereby various articles may' be stored in the container. 1

1 Still further objects, advantages, and salient features will become more apparent from the description to follow, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, certain portions being broken away;

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation of either end of Fig. 1; and

Figure 4 is a section, similar to Fi 2. showing an alternative form of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and particularly Figures 1 to 3, the device comprises a cylindrical tube I0. closed at one end by a circular end wall I I, and a second tube l 2, similarly closed at one end by an end wall l3. Tube [2 telescopes over a tubular portion M on tube I0, of reduced diameter, and is rotatable relative thereto.

Tube 10 is provided with a peripherally extending set of characters. such as letters I5 of the alphabet, at one side of a plane passing through circular line l6, between the tubes, and

1 Claim. (Cl. 35-977) on the two tubes should be such that the various a juvenile user. It will-be' apparent, also; that characters, such as numbers, may beemployed in lieu of letters, or the characters maybe partly letters and partly numbers,- Thus, for-example, numbersO through 9 may be employed on: each tube and with such "combination all numbers from 0 to 99 maybe formed.

A tubular ring l8 surrounds tubeslfl and I 2 and is rotatable relative thereto, this ring being provided with an aperture l9, forming a window, so that only one word'or number may beviewed at a time. 'As shown inFigure 1-, the only word visible is theword BAN. This ring renders the use of the device less confusing to the juvenile user since attention must be focused on-only-a single word-or number. r

In operation, -tube I0 is held in one hand. for example the-left hand, and ring l8 rotated to expose a particular'letter of the alphabet, such as B. The slight pressure of the hand, or a finger thereof, prevents relative rotation between tube [0 and ring I 8. Tube I2 is then rotated by the other hand to expose a combination of letters thereon, and in the examples above given,

the words BAN, BENT, and BELL may be formed within the window. If numbers are being formed, instead of words, the operation is, of course. the same.

In Figure 4 a slight modification is illustrated wherein tube 12a, having end wall I31. telescopes end walls prevent collapsing of the tubes, and as previouslv mentioned, also form a closed container with a removable lid. Any other material such as a plastic, wood, or metal may also be employed, and if desired, a portion or all of members [0, ll, l2 and I3 may be transparent so that any contents therein may be visible. Ring l8 preferably should be opaque, however, so that only one pair of aligned characters on the resoective tubes may be viewed at one time. Where the container feature is not desired, relatively rotatable members l0, H and l2, l3 may be formed as a pair of solid disks, or the like, disposed in face to face relation and journalled for relative rotation about a common axis, such as by an axially extending pin, or other journal means.

While the characters have been described as 5 either letters or figures, the term characters, as hereinafter employed in the claim, is intended to define any partial representation of an entity, the alignment of the partial representations forming; a representation of the: entity.

The characters maybe printed; embossed, engraved, or otherwise formed on the relatively ro--.- tatable members II, and [2. Ring l8. if desired; may be constructed of flexible or resilient'mate rial so that it can be distorted and stored inside 15.

the relatively rotatable members 'when it'isno't in use. Many modificationswill-become appar ent within the purview of the invention and the illustrations are therefore to be regarded asex emplary only, and the invention not limited thereto excep't asd'efinediby the scope oflthefalrperided cl'aim;

' Ifia toy,-

cylindrical: container having? one earn open, a cover closing the open end". thereof,

the container and-'c'over 'being relatively rotatable about their common axis; the: container: and cover having respectively, normally left" and right peripheral portions disposed on: opposite si'd -of a plane perpendicular to said axis, pe-

rfpl'i'eral-ly extending individual letters on the container portion; eachletter forming'the first letter of apredetermined word, peripherally extending groups of' aligned and relativew immov ableletters on the cover" portion, each group forming the remaining letters ofapredetermined word; a third rotatable tubuIa-r'memb'er' having a window carried thereby, surrounding the adjacent portions. of the container and cover and the cover and third members in fixed relation,

adapted to expose at the window still difierent predetermined words.

THOMAS N. MULVIHILL.

BEEERENCES CITED The. following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNIiI'ED. STATES PATENTS- Number 'Name Date:

69,482 Richardsomet; a1. Oct; 1 ,1867

v 305,585 Forrest Sept. 23,1884 3.75.095 Bollardnua Dec.- 29, 1887 407,374- Smith-:' July; 23,1389 483,138 Cov-ing'ton: Septv 2573.1892 613,432 Szehnak Nov; 1, 1898 702,615 Barden-v June;,1 7-,;1"902 731,175: Goodman: ;June; 16, 190.3 969 ,-429;- Warfleld; Sept; 6,; 19.1.0 1,224,742 Hillyer May 1,, 19137 Lil-7839a. Newell- M 24s,; 1921 1,391,981 Smith.- Sept... 21,1921 12,720,499 Walker.- q. .Ju1y- Q, ,1929 2,411,717 Fay et a1. Nov. 26,; 19.416 2,461,926 Russel-1.. Feb; 15; 1949 .2;'47:6',19.4

, Hellowell-@ July 12 153.49 

